Closure cap retainer



June 2, 1953 F. w. BLANCHARD ,5

CLOSURE CAP RETAINER Filed Dec. 27, 1950 FLUY: w BLANCH/4RD INVENTOR.

Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Floyd W. Blanchard, Camas, Application December 27, 1950, Serial No. 202,958

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in closure caps and means for yieldingly attaching a cap to a container such as a collapsible tube, the open end of bottles and the like.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a cap of this character which may be removed from the dispensing opening in the container and at the same time held in a position to one side of the opening to permit free access thereto. By this arrangement a cap is permanently attached to a container and readi- 1y operable into an open or closed position.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a collapsible tube provided with a closure cap made in accordance with my invention. A fragment of the tube is shown broken away to illustrate the operation of the cap from a closed to an open position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1 showing the cap in an open position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of a cap partly in section and showing the attaching means secured to the interior of the cap.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figure 3 illustrating modified forms of securing the attaching means to the interior of the cap.

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating a further modified form of securing the attaching means to the interior of a cap.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a further modified form of cap and attaching means.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of Figure 8.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing.

In Figure 1 reference numeral l indicates, generally, a conventional collapsible tube terminating at one of its ends in an externally threaded dispensing neck 2. The closure cap for the neck comprises an internally threaded body portion 3 enlarged and knurled as at 4 at its upper end. The interior of the cap is threaded as at 5 in the usual manner for threaded engagement with the neck of the tube. My new and novel form of fastening means comprises a spring Wire 6 looped into a circle 7 at one of its ends and terminating in a coil spring 8 at its opposite end. The looped end 1 is normally of greater diameter than the interior of the cap so that by natural expansion it will engage with the threads interior of the cap is provided with right hand.

threads and it will be noted in Figure 4 that one end of the looped portion 1 is directed to the left so as to bear against the threads and resist any.

rotation of the looped portion to the left which would of course remove the looped portion from the interior of the cap.

In the form of cap illustrated in Figure 5 the looped portion 1A engages with the internal threads of the cap in the same manner as that shown in Figure 3 and as an additional locking means I provide a metal disc 9 of slightly greater diameter than the threads of the cap so that the disc may be forced into sprung engagement with the threads. In Figure 6 the looped portion 1B is locked into the threads as aforesaid and covered with a sealing disc made of cardboard, fibre or the like as indicated at II]. In either form of the invention shown in Figures 5and 6 I may decide to fill the interior of the looped portion with any approved type of cement.

The cap shown in Figure 7 is not threaded on its interior and is adapted for frictional engagement with the neck or opening of a container. In this form of cap the looped portion II is embedded within the walls of the cap during the molding process of the cap.

In the operation of the flexible fastening means as best illustrated in Figure 1 with the cap in a closed position, the coil spring portion 8 is disposed within the tube and may or may not be in contact with the side wall of the tube. When the cap is removed and pulled away from the neck it will automatically assume the position shown in broken lines by reason of the curvature of the stem portion of the wire 6 which will bear against a point on the outside rim of the neck and also at a diametrically opposed point on the inner end of the neck while at the same time the coil spring will be held firmly against the inner end of the neck by the gripping action obtained between the contact of the. stem with the outer rim of the neck and the contact of the spring with the opposite end of the neck as best shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. By this arrangement the cap when removed from the neck of the container will automatically assume and maintain the position off to one side of the dispensing neck to permit free access thereto.

The further modified form of cap shown in Figures 8 and 9 may or may not be threaded on its interior and to its exterior, by means of an integral bracket I2, I attach a spring element 3 [3 either in the form of a ring to entirely surround the neck of a container in the form of a bifurcated spring clip so that in either case a threaded cap may be freely rotatable about the neck of the container.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having "thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure cap for the open dispensing neck of a container, comprising in combination :a length of spring wire secured at one of its ends to said cap, the opposite end of the wire terminating in a coil spring disposed on the interior pi the container, the entire length of said wire between the cap and the spring being bent on a radius lying in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coil spring, whereby upon removal of the cap "tromssaid neek the (cap will assume a position :at right angles :to said new taine'r at one sided thexneok.

.2. Aclosure cap forthe open dispensing neck of a container, comprising in combination 'a length of spring wire secured at one of its ends to said cap, the opposite end of the wire terminating in a coil spring disposed on the interior of the container and being of a diameter greater than the internal diameter of said neck, the entire length of the said wire between the cap and the spring being bent on a curvature lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coil spring, whereby upon removal of the cap from .said neck the cap will assume a position at one .side of the .neck and be held in that position by the gripping action of the curvature of said length of wire and said coil spring by spring pressure acting upon the interior surface of the container and the exteriorlsurface of the neck.

FLOYD W. BLANCHARD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 377,275 -Ringen. Jan. 31, 1888 876,504 Tabler -l. vJan. 14, 1908 392,466 .Sweeney July 7,1908 11732571 Smith Oct. 22, 1929 

